Tuesday 03/05/2002
March 5, 2002
#9 Clemson vs. #8 FSU Thursday, March 7th, 7:00 PM Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
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FSU Game Notes
Clemson’s ACC Tournament History
Clemson has a 12-48 record in the ACC Tournament with just oneappearance in the finals (1962) and no tournament championships.Clemson is the only original member of the ACC that has never wonthe ACC Tournament. While Clemson has struggled in the ACCTournament over the years, the Tigers won five games in the 1990s.Clemson was 5-10 in the 1990s, 1-10 in the 1980s, 3-10 in the1970s, 3-10 in the 1960s and 0-6 in the 1950s. Clemson is 1-2 inthe 21st century. Clemson has won its opening round game of thetournament five of the last nine years. Clemson won last year inthe 8 vs. 9 game, 66-64 over Florida State. The Tigers last win inthe quarterfinals in the ACC Tournament took place in Greensboro in1998, a 75-56 victory over Wake Forest. Clemson trailed by eight atintermission in that game. Clemson has a 3-9 record in Charlotte inthe ACC Tournament. One of the victories was a stunning 87-75 winover Florida State in the 1993 event. Florida State was seededsecond and Clemson seventh. The Seminoles were ranked 10th by APand 12th USA Today and Clemson had lost 27 straight ACC Tournamentgames as a lower seed. Florida State went on to the NCAA Regionalfinals that year. Clemson’s most exciting victory in recent yearstook place in the 1996 tournament when Clemson downed NorthCarolina, 75-73. It is Clemson’s only win over North Carolina inthe ACC Tournament and it was Clemson’s first win over the TarHeels in the state in 29 years. Greg Buckner’s dunk with 0.6seconds left won the game for Clemson. Clemson is 3-13 in Raleigh,3-9 in Charlotte, 5-19 in Greensboro, 1-4 in Atlanta and 1-3 inLandover, MD over the years in ACC Tournament play. Clemson has arecord of 2-3 in the first round, 10-35 in the quarterfinals, 1-9in the semifinals and 0-1 in the finals for an overall 13-48 recordin ACC tournament play. Clemson has been seeded in the top four ofthe ACC Tournament just 11 times in the 48 tournaments. Clemson is6-11 as a top four seed. The year Clemson reached the finals of theevent (1962), Clemson was seeded sixth. Clemson has been thenumber-one seed just once, 1990, the only year Clemson has won theregular season of the ACC. Clemson has reached the tournamentsemifinals 10 times, including four times in the 1990s (1990, 1993,1996 and 1998). Clemson did not reach the semifinals any yearbetween 1981-89. Clemson has been to the ACC TournamentChampionship game just once, in 1962. That year, Clemson was seededsixth in the tournament in Raleigh and upset #3 NC State and #2Duke before losing to #1 seed Wake Forest, who was led by pointguard Billy Packer. Jim Brennan scored 34 points in Clemson’ssemifinal victory over Duke in 1962. Now a resident of Charlotte,Brennan will be on hand as Clemson’s honored legend at thefestivities this year. Clemson’s only postseason tournamentchampionship in history took place in 1939 when the Tigers won fourgames in four days at the Southern Conference Tournament inRaleigh. The Tigers defeated North Carolina, Wake Forest, Davidsonand Maryland to win the event. Clemson did not lead at the half inany of those games. Banks McFadden was the star of the Clemsonteam. Clemson came close to a championship under Larry Shyatt atthe 1999 NIT when the Tigers lost in the finals to California,61-60.
Tigers from North Carolina Four Clemson players, including starting post players Chris Hobbs and Ray Henderson, are natives of the state of North Carolina. Playing games against teams from the Tar Heel state are usually special to them and that will be the case when the Tigers play in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Key reserve Dwon Clifton and original walk-on now scholarship player Walker Holt are also from North Carolina.
Hobbs is from Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill High. Both his parents are North Carolina graduates. Henderson is from Charlotte and East Mecklenberg High School. Holt is from Grimsley High in Greensboro, while Clifton attended Westchester Academy and is a native of High Point. Hobbs and Henderson average 20.2 points and 14.9 rebounds per game. Both are shooting over 54 percent from the field.
This is the second largest contingent of players from the Tar Heel state on the Clemson roster. Last year, six Tigers from North Carolina were on the 14-man roster. This year it is four of 15. One of Clemson’s signees for next year, Shawan Robinson, is from Raleigh, NC and Leesville Road High School.
Clemson Streaks
Tony Stockman has averaged 19.2 points a game over his lastfive contests and shot 19 for 40 from three-point range during thattime. He has made 19 of his last 24 free throws. Sharrod Ford hasmade 19 of his last 28 shots from the field, .678. He has averaged6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds over his last seven games. Edward Scotthas averaged 18.4 points per game and 8.4 assists and 5.0 reboundsover his last five contests. He has made 8 of his last 15three-point shots. He has had more assists than turnovers in 15 ofhis last 16 games. He has made 14 of his last 18 free throws. CheyChristie has averaged 6.3 points per game over his last nine gamesafter scoring just three points in a six-game period between Jan.5-24. Jamar McKnight has scored in double figures in 15 of his last17 games. He has made 11 of his last 13 free throws.
Last Outing vs. Florida State Clemson 87, Florida State 78 Feb. 23, 2002 at Clemson, SC Edward Scott scored 36 points, including 34 over the game’s last 27 minutes, leading Clemson to an 87-78 victory over Florida State on Feb. 23. Scott’s point total was the most by a Clemson point guard since Feb. 14, 1970 when Butch Zatezalo scored 43 against NC State in a game in Charlotte. Scott also added eight rebounds and seven assists in the all-around performance.
Five Tigers scored in double figures, including Scott’s performance. Chris Hobbs added 11 points, while Ray Henderson and Tony Stockman added 10 points apiece. Henderson had his ninth double-double of the season, as he also added 11 rebounds. Delvon Arrington led Florida State with 20 points, seven assists and seven steals, as the opposing point guards were dominant throughout the game.
Clemson shot 50 percent for the game, while the Seminoles made 43 percent. Clemson made 35 percent of its three-point shots (7-20), thanks to Scott’s 5-6 performance.
Florida State had an 18-8 lead over the first eight minutes in the game. It marked the third time this year that Clemson had overcome a 10-point deficit to win the game. Florida State still held a 25-18 lead with 7:17 to go in the half. But, Clemson went on a 16-0 spurt to take a 34-25 lead. Scott hit consecutive three-point goals to get the streak off to a good start and scored 10 of the 16 points in the run. Clemson led at halftime 41-30.
Clemson ran the margin up to 19 points within the first five minutes of the second half, forcing Florida State to play catchup the rest of the game. Arrington led a run at the end of the game that cut the margin to six points on two occasions. But, Clemson made 9-11 from the foul line over the last five minutes of the game and claimed the victory.
Scott Scores 36 Points Against Florida State Clemson guard Edward Scott scored 36 points in the win over Florida State on Feb. 23rd at Littlejohn Coliseum in the final home game of the year. The point total tied for the 14th highest single game total in Clemson history, the fifth highest ever by a Clemson point guard.
The overall scoring record in Clemson history is 58, set by J.O Erwin against Butler Guards on Feb. 9, 1912. That was the first day of basketball in Clemson history. Actually, it was the second game of the day for Clemson. The Tigers opened the day with a 46-12 win over Furman in Greenville, as Erwin scored 22 points.
Later in the day, Clemson played the Butler Guards in the same facility in Greenville and the Tigers came away with a 78-6 victory. Erwin scored 58 points on 29 field goals in the Clemson victory. So Erwin scored 80 points in that first day of Clemson basketball. That record has not been broken since. The “Modern Day” mark is 46 set by Bill Yarborough against South Carolina in 1954-55 and by Butch Zatezalo at Wake Forest in 1968-69.
Scott’s point total was the most by a Clemson point guard since Zatezalo scored 43 against NC State in 1969-70.
Highest Scoring Games in Clemson History by Point Guards No Name Site-Opp Date 46 Butch Zatezalo A-Wake Forest 2-18-69 43 Butch Zatezalo N-NC State 2-14-70 39 Choppy Patterson H-Citadel 12-17-60 38 Butch Zatezalo H-Wake Forest 2-27-69 36 Edward Scott H-Florida St. 2-23-02
First Meeting vs. Florida State Florida State 68, Clemson 63 Jan. 24, 2002 at Tallahassee, FL Florida State outscored Clemson14-3 over the last seven minutes of the game and went on to a 68-63 win in Tallahassee on January 24, 2002. It was Clemson’s fourth straight loss overall and its fourth straight loss to the Seminoles in Tallahassee. All four of those defeats in Tallahassee have been by seven points or less.
Clemson was led by Tony Stockman, who had 22 points, including 20 in the game’s first 12:19 of the game. Jamar McKnight added 13 points, but those were the only double figure scorers for Clemson. Edward Scott scored nine and added eight assists and six rebounds. Ray Henderson had just four points, but pulled in nine rebounds. Florida State was led by Monte Cummings with 17 points, while Antwuan Dixon added 15, including three three-point goals in the last 12 minutes of the game.
Clemson shot just 27.6 percent in the second half, including 1-10 on three-point goals. The Tigers made just 1 of their last 14 shots over the last nine minutes of the contest. Clemson was 0-8 inside the last five minutes. The Tigers held the lead in the game from the 15:17 mark of the first half until the 5:02 mark when the score was tied at 60.
Stockman made 7 of his first 10 shots from the field, including 6-8 on three-point attempts in the first 12:19 to lead Clemson to a 10-point advantage at 30-20. Clemson advanced the lead to a game high 34-22 with 5:27 left. But, FSU cut the lead to one with nine seconds left in the half. Then, Scott hit a three-point shot at the buzzer to give Clemson a 41-37 lead at intermission.
Normally the first five minutes of the second half will have a big bearing on the final outcome. That was not the case in this game. Clemson brought the lead to 47-37 three minutes into the second half on a jumper by Ray Henderson. Clemson still led by eight at 58-50 with 9:19 left on a dunk by freshman Sharrod Ford off a feed from Scott. But Clemson would score just one field goal by Ford the rest of the game, as the Seminoles turned up the defense.
It was still a 60-60 game at the final media timeout, but FSU went on an 8-3 run to close the game. Monte Cummings made 4-4 free throws down the stretch that were key to the FSU win.
Clemson won the rebound battle 42-39 and won the offensive rebounds 17-11. Despite this offensive rebound margin, Clemson scored just four second-chance points the entire game. FSU scored 11. The Seminoles attempted 28 free throws and made 17, while Clemson attempted just 10 and made seven. It was the 18th straight loss for Clemson when the opposition made more free throws than Clemson attempted. Florida State was whistled for just 13 fouls the entire game and Clemson never got into the 1-1 until the final 2:18 of the game.
Clemson vs. Florida State Series
This is the 37th meeting between Clemson and Florida State inmen’s basketball. The Seminoles hold a 20-16 lead. Clemson has wontwo of the last three meetings, including last year’s 66-64 victoryin the 8 vs. 9 game at the ACC Tournament. lorida State won earlierthis year in Tallahassee by a 68-63 score. Clemson won at Clemsonby nine points. Three of the last five meetings have been decidedby five points or less. Clemson has a 3-11 all-time record inTallahassee. The wins came in 1961-62 (82-77), 1996-97 (76-70) and1997-98 (78-49). Florida State has beaten Clemson by six points orless six of the last eight games at the Leon County Coliseum. Infact, each of Florida State’s last six wins over Clemson inTallahassee have been by six points or less. Larry Shyatt has lostfour games by 18 points in Tallahassee in his four trips to thestate capital. Clemson’s 78-45 win over Florida State at LittlejohnColiseum in 1998-99 was the second largest margin of victory inClemson history in an ACC game. Over the last 15 meetings, Clemsonhas won eight times and Florida State has won seven times. FloridaState’s average margin of victory over that time is 4.9 points pergame (34 points in seven wins) and Clemson’s is 16.8 points pergame (134 point margin over eight wins.). Florida State has sixwins over Clemson by six points or less during that time andClemson has just two wins by six points or less during that time,including last year’s 66-64 win in the ACC Tournament. Clemson andFSU first met in the 1952 Gator Bowl Tournament in Jacksonville,FL. The Tigers won 62-56 and in fact won the first three games ofthe series, one in Jacksonville, one in Charlotte and one inClemson. Since Florida State joined the ACC in 1991-92, theSeminoles have won 16 of the 25 meetings. Clemson’s top victory inthat time came in the 1993 ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Clemsondefeated a 10th ranked Florida State team, 87-75. That victory, ledby Clemson future NBA players Sharone Wright, Chris Whitney andDevin Gray, broke a 27-game Clemson losing streak in the Tournamentas a lower seeded team. Clemson is 2-1 against Florida State in theACC Tournament, including 1-1 under Larry Shyatt. Each of Clemson’stwo wins over Florida State in the ACC Tournament came in seasonsthe Tigers lost both regular season games to the Seminoles.
Future Bright for Clemson Basketball Here are some quick facts as to why the future looks bright for Clemson basketball:
Clemson returns four starters for next year, including captainEdward Scott, a third-team All-ACC player this year. Clemson hasthe top two sophomore scorers in the ACC in Tony Stockman and ChrisHobbs. The ACC loses at least nine of its top 11 scorers from thisseason. Clemson returns players who accounted for 83.5 percent ofthe scoring, 89 percent of the rebounds, 93 percent of the assists,91 percent of the blocked shots and 91 percent of the steals.Clemson returns eight of its top nine scorers and rebounders.Returning frontcourt tandem of Chris Hobbs and Ray Henderson areboth ranked in the top 10 in Clemson history in career field goalpercentage at over 54.5 percent. Tony Stockman returns for hisjunior year ranked fourth in Clemson history in three-point goals.Clemson will have four senior scholarship to provide leadership in2002-03.. Clemson has had just one senior scholarship player eachof the last three years. Clemson will have balance on its rosternext year with four seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and twofreshmen.
Clemson Has Shown Improvement over Last Year While Clemson has a losing record entering the ACC Tournament, the Tigers have shown improvement in many areas as compared to last year. Despite the loss of All-ACC guard Will Solomon, who entered the NBA early and is now with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Tigers have increased their victory total overall and in ACC play. Clemson’s scoring average is up and its scoring defense is down. Clemson has also made a significant improvement in rebound margin ( a negative margin to leading the league), double figure scorers, blocks and steals and scoring margin. The improvement includes wins over ranked teams, wins away from home, assist/turnover ratio, field goal percentage defense and scoring margin. Clemson has its eight of its top nine scorers returning next season.
Clemson Comparison of Last Two SeasonsCategory 2000-01 2001-02 ImpRegular Season Wins 11 13 +2Winning Percentage .379 .448 +.061ACC Wins 2 4 +2Wins over Ranked Teams 1 2 +1Wins Away from Home 3 5 +2Scoring Average 74.1 74.9 +0.8Scoring Margin -5.6 -1.4 +4.2Double Figure Scorers 2 4 +2Field Goal % .424 .442 +.018Field Goal % Defense .439 .436 +.003Rebound Margin -0.3 +5.3 +5.6Assist/Turnover Ratio 0.875 0.926 +0.051Blocks/Game 2.23 3.48 +1.25Steals/Game 6.03 7.38 +1.35
Phillips to Broadcast 1000th Game Clemson Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Phillips will provide play by play commentary on his 1000th Clemson men’s basketball game when the Tigers open play in the ACC Tournament against Florida State on March 7 in Charlotte.
Phillips, a native of Ohio, has been the Voice of the Tigers since the 1968-69 season. This is his 34th year behind the microphone and this will be his 34th ACC Tournament. Earlier this year he broadcast his 500th game in Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson’s 118-115 double overtime win over Wake Forest. He has missed just one game in Littlejohn in 34 years. Ironically, that was the Feb. 6 game against Georgia Tech, the game that would have been his 500th. He missed that game with a case of the flu.
As far as his favorite games in Clemson history, Phillips has listed three, in no particular order. Two of the three were wins over Kentucky. In the 1979 NIT, Clemson won at Kentucky 68-67 in overtime. The other Kentucky game took place in Indianapolis in the RCA Dome, a 79-71 overtime game that opened a Sweet 16 season in 1996-97. His third favorite took place at the 1996 ACC Tournament in Greensboro, a 75-73 win over North Carolina, a game that was won on a dunk by Greg Buckner with 0.6 seconds remaining.
Phillips first broadcast of a Clemson basketball game was on November 30, 1968, a 76-72 Clemson win over Georgia Tech. That was the dedication game of Littlejohn Coliseum. The second game was an 86-85 loss at home to an LSU team led by Pete Maravich.
Clemson 118, Wake Forest 115 (2OT) Feb. 13, 2002 at Clemson, SC Clemson ended an eight-game losing streak with a 118-115 double overtime victory against Wake Forest on Feb. 13, 2002. The remarkable contest was the second highest scoring game in ACC history for two teams combined and featured five players who scored 24 points or more. Clemson had three of the five as the starting backcourt of Tony Stockman and Chris Hobbs added 24 points and 17 rebounds, while Jamar McKnight added 15. Scott’s 30-point evening included a career-high 16 assists, while Stockman did not have a turnover in his 43 minutes of play and he added a career high tying six assists. Scott’s performance set a Clemson record for points scored by a player who had double figures in assists.
Wake Forest was led by Craig Dawson, who scored 38 points, including 11 made three-point goals, tying an ACC record. Darius Songaila added 24 points before fouling out. Broderick Hicks had 16 points and six assists before he fouled out.
Wake Forest made 19-42 three-point goals, an all-time ACC record for made three-point goals in a game. The Deacons 115 points scored were the most ever for a losing team in an ACC game. Clemson’s 118 points scored were a school record for points in an ACC game.
Clemson shot 55.8 percent from the field for the game. The Tigers made 55.9 in the first half, 53.6 in the second half and 60 percent in the overtime periods. The Tigers had a season high 26 assists and made 9-20 three-point goals. Clemson could have won the game in a rout had it made free throws. The Tigers were just 23-45 from the line for the game, 6-16 in the overtimes.
The two teams battled on even terms the first 10 minutes of the game. Wake Forest held a 23-19 lead with 8:37 left in the first half. But, the Tigers went on a 21-5 run over the next six minutes and led 40-26 with 2:20 left on a three-point goal by Dwon Clifton, his first three-point goal of 2002. Clemson still led 46-34 at intermission. The margin varied between 8-12 points the first 14 minutes of the second half as both teams executed their offense. Edward Scott caught fire late in the game and scored 14 consecutive points to give the Tigers a 81-66 lead with 3:48 remaining.
But, Wake Forest would not die. It was still an 86-75 Clemson lead with 63 seconds left. But, the Deacs made five three-point goals in the last minute, including a four-point play by Dawson that cut the lead to 86-79. Another three-point goal by Dawson after a Clemson turnover made it 86-82. Wake Forest sent the game into overtime on a three-point goal by Taron Downey with 0.6 seconds left.
After losing an 11-point lead with a minute left, most figured the Tigers would falter in the overtime. Wake Forest did take a 99-96 lead, but Clemson eventually tied the game at 101 on a layup by Chris Hobbs with 55 seconds left. Clemson then had the last shot, but Edward Scott attempt rimmed out.
Clemson took control in the second overtime, leading 116-111 with 20 seconds left on two free throws by Stockman. Wake Forest scored a field goal by Downey. Clemson could not get the ball in bounds and called timeout, a timeout the Tigers did not have.
Dawson went to the foul line and made two free throws to cut the margin to one point with 13 seconds left. Wake Forest fouled Hobbs on the in-bounds. The sophomore from Chapel Hill had made just 6-17 free throws at that point in the game, but calmly made both to give Clemson a three-point lead. Wake Forest never got off a three-point attempt on its last possession and Clemson had the victory, its first win since January 8th.
Unusual Occurrences of Feb. 13, 2002
Clemson missed 22 free throws, yet won the game. Clemson was23-45 from the line for the contest. The Tigers were just 6-16 fromthe foul line in the two overtimes combined. Wake Forest made 19three-point goals, yet lost the game. The Deacons hit 19-42three-point goals in the contest, beating the ACC record by one. Itwas the most three-point goals ever made against Clemson. WakeForest’s Craig Dawson made 11 three-point goals, tying the ACCrecord for made three-point goals by an individual in a singlegame. Dennis Scott also made 11 against Houston in the RainbowClassic in 1988. Clemson gave up 28 points in the last 3:40 andblew an 11-point lead with 63 seconds remaining, yet won the game.Wake Forest made five three-point goals in the last 63 seconds andtied the game with a three-point goal with 0.6 seconds left. ButClemson overcame the emotion change in the overtime periods.Clemson had lost eight straight games, while Wake Forest had wonfour straight conference games. Wake Forest won the first meetingby 41 points, the worst margin of defeat for Larry Shyatt as a headcoach.
Clemson Gains Win in Overtime Clemson defeated Wake Forest 118-115 in double overtime on Feb. 13 at Littlejohn Coliseum. It was Clemson’s first overtime victory since a 78-65 win over Maryland at Littlejohn Coliseum during December of 1997, Rick Barnes’s last year at Clemson. Clemson had lost six straight overtime games prior to the Feb. 13 game.
It was Clemson’s first double overtime victory since Clemson defeated a 13th-ranked Georgia Tech team in double overtime 97-94 at Littlejohn Coliseum during the 1987-88 season. Overall, it was just the 15th double overtime game in Clemson history. The Tigers are now 9-6 in double overtime games in history. Clemson has played two triple overtime games and lost both. Clemson is now 52-45 all-time in overtime games, including 26-23 in games played at Clemson and 16-14 in overtime games in Littlejohn.
Starting Backcourt Scores 60 Points When Clemson’s starting backcourt of Tony Stockman both scored 30 points against Wake Forest it marked the ninth time in Clemson history that two players had combined for at least 60 points in a game. It was the first time the starting backcourt had scored at least 30 points apiece, and just the second time in school history that two players on the Tiger team had gone for at least 30 in the same game.
The only other time Clemson has had a pair of 30-point scorers in the same game was on Dec. 1, 1993 when Rayfield Ragland scored 32 and Devin Gray added 30 in a 120-103 Clemson victory in Charleston. That was the highest scoring game for two teams combined in Clemson history prior to the game of Feb. 13.
The Clemson record for points scored by two players combined is 74. You have to go back to the first day of Clemson basketball to find that record. On Feb. 9, 1912 J.O. Erwin scored 58 points and J.W. Erwin added 16 in a 78-6 win over the Butler Guards. Apparently the Butler Guards didn’t guard anyone that day.
In the modern era, the record for points scored by two Tigers in the same game is 64. Butch Zatezalo scored 46 and Dave Thomas added 18 in a game against Wake Forest on Feb. 18, 1969.
Wake Forest had two players combine for 62 points in the game as Craig Dawson scored 38 and Darius Songaila added 24. It was the most points by two Clemson opponents in the same game since the 1997 NCAA Tournament two Minnesota Players (Jackson and Jacobson) combined for 64. That game also went double overtime.
Clemson Ends Eight-Game Losing Streak “Eight is Enough” was a popular television program of the 1980s and it is an appropriate slogan for two major Clemson victories over the last two seasons.
Last year, Clemson had lost eight consecutive games before upsetting then #1 ranked North Carolina on Feb. 18, 2001 by a 75-65 score. Clemson’s losing streak had begun with a 27-point point loss at North Carolina in January.
Similarly, Clemson had endured an eight-game losing streak heading into the Feb. 13 game with 17th-ranked Wake Forest. Clemson had begun the losing streak with a 41-point loss at Wake Forest in early January, the worst margin of defeat for Larry Shyatt as a head coach. But, just as it had done the previous year, Clemson overcame the odds and defeated a top 20 Wake Forest in a thrilling game, 118-115 in double overtime.
Ford and Christie Contributing Clemson guard Chey Christie had his best game in two months in the game at Virginia. The freshman from Hartford, CT scored 14 points on 6-12 shooting in 26 minutes. He also added three steals, an assist and made 2-4 three-point goals. He was a leader in Clemson’s comeback from a 10-point deficit early in the game.
That was Christie’s first double figure scoring game since he had 21 against #1 Duke in Durham on Dec. 2. It was his fourth double figure scoring game of the year. Christie has gotten additional minutes of late, as an injured ankle is finally healthy. For the year Christie is averaging 5.4 points a game, first among the Tiger freshmen.
Christie’s stats are better on the road than at home this year. He has scored 7.8 points a game on the road compared to just 4.3 a game at home. He has made just 2-26 three-point shots at home and is 7-18 on the road. He finished the regular season with an 11-point per formance at North Carolina, his fifth double digit scoring game of the year.
Freshman forward Sharrod Ford has been among Clemson’s most productive players this season. He had five points and five rebounds in 24 minutes at Virginia. In the victory over Wake Forest, Ford had a career-high 10 rebounds, including four offensive, helping Clemson to a 62-48 rebound advantage. Ford has played 13 minutes per game, but still ranks 13th in the ACC in blocked shots. Ford had one of his best games of the year against #1 Duke on Feb. 2 when he had 10 points on 4-6 shooting and added three rebounds in 18 minutes.
Ford has shot nearly 60 percent from the field and has pulled in 3.3 rebounds and scored 4.4 points per outing. He had 11 points at Wake Forest on Jan. 12 for his third double-figure scoring game of the season, his first in ACC play. Earlier this year he made 4-4 from the field and had 10 points and four rebounds in a win at Penn State. He also had 10 points in the win at Hartford. His 59.6 field goal percentage will be a Clemson freshman record if he attempts six more field goals and holds that field goal percentage.
Like Christie, Ford plays better on the road than at home. As noted above, three of his four double-figure scoring games have taken place on the road. He averages 5.8 points a game on the road and just 4.3 at home this year.
Ford attended Gwynn Park High School in Maryland where he played for Steve Matthews. He averaged 15.8 points, 12 rebounds and 6.6 blocked shots per game. That blocked shot figure seemed high, but based on what he has done on a per minute basis this year, it is certainly realistic. Ford came to Clemson from Hargrave Military in Virginia where he helped that team to a 26-1 record last year by averaging a double-double.
McKnight Stats Much Improved Jamar McKnight, Clemson’s only senior, is following a tradition of second-year improvement by Tiger junior college players. This season, McKnight has scored12.6 points a game and averaged 4.1 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 47 percent from the field and a team best 38 percent from three-point range. He has led Clemson in scoring in six of the last 14 games and has scored in double figures 15 of the last 16 games. He has made at least one three-point goal in 12 of the last 15.
Last year, McKnight scored just 68 points and had 25 rebounds all year in 20 games. This year he has 339 points and 110 rebounds in 27 games. He missed two games due to injury earlier this year and played just two minutes in a third. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest year ago. Thus, McKnight has more than tripled his scoring average and rebound average between his junior and senior seasons.
McKnight might have played his best game as a Tiger when Clemson defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Jan. 5. The native of Zachery, LA who was playing in front of family and friends who had made the trip from Louisiana, had 22 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes of play. He made his last five shots from the field and shot 9-12 overall.
He added to his growing fan base with a 25-point performance against fifth-ranked Virginia. McKnight made 9-20 shots from the field, 3-7 on three-pointers and scored 18 points in the second half. He scored six of Clemson’s final 10 points down the stretch. He did not have a turnover in his 33 minutes of work and added seven rebounds, one off his career high.
Most junior college transfers make improvement from year one to year two. But, McKnight is doing it at a record pace. Billy Williams holds the Clemson standard for scoring average improvement for a junior college transfer from his first year to his second. Williams average went from 5.6 a game in 1977-78 to 13.4 in 1978-79, a 7.6 points per game improvement. He went on to average 17.6 points a game and earn first-team All-ACC honors in 1979-80. McKnight stands at a +9.2 points per game improvement this year over last season, so he is ahead of Williams improvement rate. The improvement would be the fifth best in Clemson history if the season ended today.
The overall Clemson record for improvement in scoring from one season to another is held by Will Solomon, who improved by 14.6 points a game from his freshman year to his sophomore year. That is an ACC record.
Jamar McKnight Improvement ChartCategory 2000-01 2001-02Points/Game 3.4 12.6Rebounds/Game 1.3 4.1Field goal % .429 .4703Pt FGs/Game 0.45 1.593pt Goal % .391 .377Minutes/Game 9.4 25.4
Clemson’s Top Scoring Improvements in Consecutive Seasons Player First Year Second Year Imp Will Solomon 99-98 (6.3) 99-00 (20.9) +14.6 Bill Yarborough 53-54 (15.7) 54-55 (28.3) +12.6 Earle Maxwell 58-59 (3.2) 59-60 (13.8) +10.6 Michael Tait 85-86 (2.5) 86-87 (12.9) +10.4 Elden Campbell 86-87 (8.8) 87-88 (18.8) +10.0 Glenn Corbit 83-84 (1.8) 84-85 (11.7) +9.9 Jamar McKnight 00-01 (3.4) 01-02 (12.6) +9.2 Trip Jones 66-67 (0.8) 67-68 (10.0) +9.2 David Brown 74-75 (2.9) 75-76 (11.6) +8.7 Larry Nance 77-78 (3.1) 78-79 (11.1) +8.0
Three-Point Shooting Has Been Important Three-point shooting has become more and more important in basketball at all levels. Each of the top nine three-point shooting teams in the NBA were the top nine teams in terms of winning percentage on Feb. 10. North Carolina made 11 three-point goals in its win over Clemson on Jan. 26, while the Tigers made just five. The six made field goals from three-point range equaled the scoring difference in the game. The same was true in the Duke game on Feb. 2 as the Blue Devils made 11 three-point goals to just six for the Tigers, a 15-point difference, a key to the 10-point Duke victory.
When Clemson defeated Virginia earlier this year the Cavs made just 2-25 three-point goals compared to 8-19 for the Tigers. When Wake Forest defeated Clemson in Winston-Salem the Deacs made 9-20, while Clemson was just 3-12. When N.C. State downed Clemson in Littlejohn the Wolfpack made 15-31 threes compared to 5-12 for Clemson. Clemson made 15-28 threes at Maryland, a big reason Clemson was in the game the entire time at College Park.
The team with the higher three-point goal percentage has won 12 of the last 16 Clemson games. One of the exceptions was the recent Wake Forest game when Wake Forest hit 19-42 three-point goals for 45.2 percent, yet lost to the Tigers. Clemson did make 9-20 three-point goals in that game.
For the season, opponents have made 84 more three-point goals than Clemson. The total is 51 more in the 16 ACC games. Clemson is last in the ACC in three-point shooting offense and defense.
Christie and Buckner Return to School Former Tigers Tony Christie and Greg Buckner are both pursuing their degrees from Clemson. Christie, who played for the Tigers from 1995-99, is the brother of current freshman Chey Christie. Tony was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams and an NIT finalist. He played this past fall with the Greenville team in the NBA’s development league. He enrolled in the second semester at Clemson and is anticipating a graduation in August.
Buckner, who has started half the games this year with Dallas and is shooting over 50 percent from the field, played for the Tigers from 1994-98. He was back at Clemson this past summer and will return at the conclusion of the NBA season to finish his degree.
Both Buckner and Christie had big contributions to wins over North Carolina in their careers. Buckner made the most famous dunk in Clemson history in the 1996 ACC Tournament when he dunked with six seconds left to give Clemson a 75-73 victory. It is Clemson’s only ACC Tournament win over the Tar Heels. Christie scored 15 points in Clemson’s 15-point win over a ninth ranked North Carolina team in 1998-99, his senior season.
Scott Third in Nation in Assists Clemson guard Edward Scott was third in the nation in assists through games of March 3. A new ranking is issued every Tuesday afternoon. Including his 16-assist game against Wake Forest, Scott now averages 7.97 assists per game.
Scott has had at least eight assists in nine of the last 12 games, including 13 against N.C. State on Jan. 15. He is on pace to set a Clemson single season record. Grayson Marshall averaged 7.71 per game in 1985-86 and that is the record for the course of an entire season. Grayson Marshall is the only Clemson player to rank in the top 25 in the nation in assists over the course of a season. Marshall was 20th as a freshman, 13th as a sophomore and 16th as a junior (1984-85 through 1986-87). Scott is second in the ACC in assists, just behind Steve Blake (8.14). Clemson has never had a player lead the league in assists.
Scott is trying to become the first Clemson player to rank in the top five in the nation in any statistical category since 1992-93 when Sharone Wright finished second in the nation in blocked shots.
Scott Moves to Fourth on Clemson Assist List Clemson junior guard Edward Scott had five assists against N.C. State on Feb. 16 and moved into fourth place on the Clemson all-time assist list. He now has 427 for his career, ahead of Bobby Conrad, who had 401 between 1976-80.
Scott has seven games of double figures in assists and 18 with eight or more this year, including nine of the last 12. That includes the win over Wake Forest when he had a career-high 16 assists. That set a Clemson record for an ACC game and ranked in a tie for third best in Clemson history for a single game. It was the high total by a Tiger since the 1985-86 season when Grayson Marshall had a record 20 assists against Maryland-Eastern Shore.
It marked just the second game in ACC history a player had at least 30 points and 15 assists in the same game. Kenny Anderson had 32 points and 18 assists against Pittsburgh on Dec. 28, 1989.
Scott has been improved in a number of areas this year, including scoring. He has averaged 11.5 points a game this year and has had six 20-point scoring nights, the first six of his career. That includes two 30-point games. He netted 20 points, including a career high five three-point goals, in a loss at #3 Maryland, then had 20 on 10 field goals against #1 Duke two weeks later. His top game was against Florida State when he scored 36 on Feb. 23.
“Edward Scott was terrific,” said Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. “He really did a good job pushing the ball up. Obviously (Tony) Stockman made a lot of shots, but I really admire what Scott did tonight.”
Scott has had more turnovers than assists in just three games all season and has had more assists than turnovers in 15 of the 16 ACC games. He had a streak of 14 straight games at one point this year. Ironcially, the streak was broken in his 36-point effort against Florida State on Feb. 23.
Scott had 25 points on 8-12 shooting in the win over LaSalle in The Virgin Islands in the second game of the year, and had 21 points and 11 assists in a victory over Elon. That was the first time since the 1998-99 season that any Clemson player had 20 points and double figures in assists in the same game. He had 17 against Virginia on January 8, his career high against an ACC opponent.
And, Scott’s rebound average of 4.9 this year is ahead of his career 3.9 figure. In fact, his 4.9 rebounds per game is the best for a Clemson point guard since Doug Hoffman had a 6.0 average as the point guard in 1957-58. Scott had 10 rebounds in the loss to Yale, his career high. He had an unusual double-double in that game with 10 rebounds and 11 assists, but just one point. Scott ranks 17th in the ACC in rebounding, second best among guards behind NC State’s Anthony Grundy.
Eight times this year Scott has had at least six rebounds, assists and points in the same game, including the Maryland game of Jan. 20 when he had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Clemson Career Leaders in Assists/GameRk. Name Yrs Years Ast GP A/G1. Grayson Marshall 4 1984-88 857 122 7.022. Chris Whitney 2 1991-93 354 58 6.103. Marion Cash 2 1988-90 335 64 5.234. Edward Scott 3 1999-02 427 83 5.145. Terrell McIntyre 4 1995-99 577 126 4.586. Derrick Johnson 4 1975-79 476 111 4.297. Lou Richie 2 1992-94 239 57 4.198. Chris Dodds 3 1979-82 325 83 3.929. Mike Eppley 4 1980-84 268 69 3.8810. David Young 4 1988-92 330 97 3.40
Clemson Career Leaders in Total Assists Rk. Name Yrs Years GP A/G Ast 1. Grayson Marshall 4 1984-88 122 7.02 857 2. Terrell McIntyre 4 1995-99 126 4.58 577 3. Derrick Johnson 4 1975-79 111 4.29 476 4. Edward Scott 3 1999-02 83 5.14 427 5. Bobby Conrad 4 1076-80 116 3.47 402 6. Marc Campbell 4 1980-84 106 3.43 364 7. Chris Whitney 2 1991-93 58 6.10 354 8. Vincent Hamilton 5 1980-85 116 2.91 337 9. Marion Cash 2 1988-90 64 6.23 335
Scott Has had 20 Points, Double Figure Assists Twice Clemson guard Edward Scott has had two games this year in which he has had at least 20 points and double figures in assists. That is a rare occurrence. In fact, he joins Chris Whitney and Terry McIntyre as the only other players in Clemson history to do it. Whitney was the first Clemson player to do it in March of 1993 in the ACC tournament when he had 20 points and 10 assists against Florida State in the ACC Tournament. McIntyre did it three times in 1998-99, then Scott did it twice this year.
Scott had 21 points and 11 assists in a win over Elon in December, then had the incredible 30 points and 16 assists in the 118-115 win over Wake Forest this past Feb. 13. Clemson is now 5-1 in games it has had a player record at least 20 points and double figures in assists in the same game.
Clemson Players 20 points, 10 assists in Same GamePlayer Opponent Date Pts AstChris Whitney Florida St. 3-12-1993 20 10Terrell McIntyre Georgia Tech 2-28-1999 22 10Terrell McIntyre Florida State 3-4-1999 28 10Terrell McIntyre Butler 3-18-1999 21 11Edward Scott Elon 12-15-2001 21 11Edward Scott Wake Forest 2-13-2002 30 16
Clemson 68, #5 Virginia 52 Jan. 8 at Littlejohn Coliseum Edward Scott combined for 42 points, including 26 in the second half, to lead Clemson to a 68-52 victory over fifth-ranked (USA Today) Virginia on Jan. 8 at Littlejohn Coliseum. It was Clemson’s first win over the Cavaliers since the 1998-99 season, Larry Shyatt first year as Clemson head coach. It was also the highest ranked Virginia team Clemson has defeated in history. McKnight scored a career-high 25 points in the contest. He scored nine field goals for the second straight game, including three three-point shots. The only senior on the Clemson team had 18 points in the second half, including six of Clemson’s final 10 points. It was his second consecutive 20-point scoring game.
Scott scored 17 points, his high point total in an ACC game to that point in his career. He scored 7-13 from the field, including 3-4 on three-point shots. All three of the three-point goals were near the 25-foot range.
Ray Henderson had eight points and nine rebounds. Clemson shot 42.1 percent from the three-point arc to raise its record to 5-0 in 2001-02 when shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range. The Tigers employed a match-up zone the entire game and Virginia made just 2-25 three-point shots against that defense. Virginia came into the game shooting 38.8 percent on three-point shots, best in the ACC.
Roger Mason, Jr. was the only Cavalier to score in double figures as he contributed 19 points. Travis Watson, who came into the game averaging a double-double, had just six points and six rebounds.
Both teams struggled offensively at the outset. The Tigers made just 1 for their first 12 shots from the field, while Virginia was just 6 for their first 18. Clemson held a seven-point lead at 19-12 at the 9:35 mark on a three-point goal by Stockman. Virginia came back to tie the contest at 25 on a free throw by Keith Jennifer at the 1:20 mark. Clemson led at intermission, 27-25 on a field goal by Scott with 1:05 left.
Mason scored four of the six Virginia field goals over the first nine minutes of the half. Clemson had a 44-38 lead with 11 minutes left. But, Clemson then went on a 14-3 run from the 10:35 mark to the 6:53 mark and had a 58-41 lead on a three-point goal by McKnight. Virginia never got closer than 15 points the remainder of the night.
Clemson Has Balanced Team Clemson has a much more balanced team offensively than it has had in each of the last two years. The previous two seasons Will Solomon averaged around 20 points per game. The Tigers had just one other double figure scorer in each of those seasons. A year ago Solomon scored 26 percent of Clemson’s points. In 1999-00, he scored 32 percent.
Clemson has four players averaging in double figures, in fact, at least 11.5 points per game. No Clemson team has had four players average in double figures over the course of the season since 1971-72. The balance has continued in ACC play as four players have scored in double figures on a per game basis in the conference games. Tony Stockman leads the team in scoring in ACC games with 14.1, while Edward Scott is third at 13.3 points a game. Chris Hobbs has added 12 a game in ACC play.
Clemson has averaged 75.1 points a game in ACC play, ahead of its 74.9 average overall. Clemson has shot 34.7 percent in three-point shooting in league play, ahead of its 31.7 percent overall.
Bruise Brothers Leading Inside Game Clemson frontcourt players Chris Hobbs have been a strong duo on the inside this year. They combined for 23 points and 22 rebounds against third-ranked Maryland on Jan. 20. They had 32 points and 24 rebounds in the double overtime win over Wake Forest. They were especially outstanding in overtime. Henderson had eight points and six rebounds in overtime, while Hobbs had 10 points and three rebounds in the extra 10 minutes.
Hobbs ranks third on the team in scoring with a 11.9 average, while Henderson is fifth on the team with an 8.3 average. They are the top two rebounders on the Tiger team, as Henderson has an 8.8 rebounding average and Hobbs is at 6.1 per game. Henderson is third in the ACC in rebounds per game. Both are shooting at least 54 percent from the field.
Both had a strong impact on Clemson’s win at Georgia Tech. Hobbs had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Henderson added nine points and six rebounds. Collectively, they shot 13-21 from the field and pulled in 16 rebounds to go with 34 points.
Both have double-double potential. Henderson has nine double-doubles this year, more than he had all of last year and third best among ACC players. Hobbs has three double-doubles, including the win over Georgia Tech and the win at Penn State. He had a monster game against Wake Forest on Feb. 13 with 24 points and 17 rebounds. Henderson and Hobbs, both from the state of North Carolina, are the major reason Clemson is out-rebounding the opposition by 5.3 rebounds per game. With both players at roughly the same size, 6-7 and 255 pounds, Coach Larry Shyatt has begun to call them the'”Bruise Brothers” when he refers to Hobbs and Henderson in interviews. They are reminding some of a powerful frontcourt duo that led the Tigers to the ACC regular season championship in 1989-90.
That year, Elden Campbell and Dale Davis both were named first-team All-ACC, the only year in school history Clemson has had two first-team selections. Campbell and Davis combined for 30.7 points and 19.3 rebounds per game on Clemson’s 24-8 squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
Campbell and Davis were known as the “Duo of Doom” as the 6-11 frontcourt players struck fear in opposing players who drove the lane against them. Both are still in the NBA 12 years later. Campbell is the starting center for the Charlotte Hornets, while Davis is the starting center for the Portland Trailblazers.
Below is a comparison between Davis-Campbell and Hobbs-Henderson. It looks at the year 1988-89 for Campbell and Davis, the year they were juniors and sophomores, respectively, the same class and level of experience for Henderson and Hobbs. Campbell and Davis scored at a higher rate, but Hobbs and Henderson are holding their own in terms of rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage, despite playing fewer minutes.
Bruise Brothers vs. Duo of DoomCategory 1988-89 2001-02 Campbell-Davis Hobbs-HendersonPoints/Game 30.8 20.2Rebounds/Game 16.6 14.9Field Goal % .594 .550Free Throw % .666 .632Minutes/Game 51.7 49.6
Stockman Second in Three-Point Goals/Game Clemson sophomore Tony Stockman is now second in Clemson history on a per game basis in three-point goals per game and fourth overall. He made eight three-point goals at North Carolina to tie a Clemson single game record. All eight were in the first half, which set a Clemson mark for one half. Stockman now has 153 three-point goals for his career, fourth in school history.
It took him just 43 games to reach 100 three-point goals, second fastest in Clemson history behind Chris Whitney. Of course, Whitney was a junior college transfer, so Stockman is the first to reach 100 as a sophomore just 43 games into his career.
Stockman now has 153 three-point goals in just 58 games, an average of 2.64 per game. That is second best in Clemson history on a per-game average, behind Whitney’s 2.88 per game achieved between 1991-93. Whitney had 167 threes in 58 career games. He is now a starting guard with Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards. Stockman is making threes at a higher rate than former teammate and Will Solomon, Terrell McIntrye.
Clemson Career Leaders in Three-Point Goals/GameRk Name Yrs Years Md GP 3G/G1. Chris Whitney 2 1991-93 167 58 2.882. Tony Stockman 2 2000-02 153 58 2.643. Will Solomon 3 1998-01 214 94 2.284. Michael Tait 2 1985-87 70 31 2.265. Terrell McIntyre 4 1995-99 259 126 2.066. Marc Campbell 4 1980-84 37 19 1.957. Anthony Jenkins 4 1982-87 91 47 1.948. Jeff Brown 2 1992-94 82 55 1.499. Bruce Martin 4 1991-95 129 88 1.4610. David Young 4 1988-92 138 97 1.42
Clemson Career Leaders in Total Three-Point Goals Rk. Name Yrs Years GP Att 3Gls 1. Terrell McIntyre 4 1995-99 126 696 259 2. Will Solomon 3 1998-01 94 585 214 3. Chris Whitney 2 1991-93 58 404 167 4. Tony Stockman 2 2000-02 58 406 153 5. Andrius Jurkunas 4 1995-00 115 414 146 6. David Young 4 1988-92 97 402 138 7. Bruce Martin 4 1991-95 88 336 129 8. Merl Code 4 1993-97 97 371 125 9. Andre Bovain 4 1990-94 108 326 107 10. Tony Christie 4 1995-99 115 315 106
Clemson Rebounding Third Best in School History Clemson has been strong on the glass this year. The Tigers have been out-rebounded just seven times in 29 games this season. Clemson has a +5.3 rebound margin over the first 29 games, a figure that would be second in Clemson history.
The Clemson record for rebound margin over the course of a season is +8.2 per game, a mark established by Larry Shyatt first Clemson team (1998-99). That team ranked eighth in the nation in rebound margin. Harold Jamison led that club with a 9.9 figure, 18th best in the country. This year”s team has been in the top 20 all year.
Ray Henderson has done his best to impersonate Jamison on this Clemson team. The junior from Charlotte has averaged 8.8 rebounds per game, third best in the ACC. He is a big reason Clemson is among the ACC leaders in rebounding. Henderson’s rebound stat is impressive considering he plays just 23 minutes per game. Jamison played 29 minutes a game when he averaged 9.9 rebounds per contest in 1998-99. Clemson had a 62-48 rebound margin in the win over Wake Forest. That tied for the most rebounds in a game by a Clemson team since 1970.
Clemson’s top Rebound Margin Seasons Year Mar 1998-99 +8.2 1975-76 +5.8 2001-02 +5.3 1985-86 +4.9 1984-85 +4.9 1974-75 +4.9 1989-90 +4.5 1996-97 +4.5
Clemson Downs Georgia Tech Jan. 5, 2002 at Atlanta, GA Chris Hobbs scored 25 points and Jamar McKnight added 22 to lead Clemson to an 83-76 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Jan. 5, 2002. It was Clemson’s third win in Atlanta since the 1987-88 season (15 seasons) and broke a streak of nine consecutive ACC road losses for the Tigers.
Hobbs had a double-double as he added 10 rebounds to his point total. The 25 points tied his season high and his 10 rebounds tied a season high. He connected on 9-15 field goals in the contest. His only disappointing stat line was free throws, where he made just 7-13. McKnight was a perfect 5-5 on field goal attempts in the second half on the way to the second highest point total of his career. He also added a career-high eight rebounds in his productive 32 minutes. Edward Scott added his second straight double-double with 12 points and 11 assists. He also added six rebounds as he continued to grab over five rebounds per game for the season. Tony Stockman scored 11 points and added five assists. Clemson starters scored 79 of the 83 points. Tony Akins led Tech with 20 points, while Marvin Lewis scored 19. Lewis made just 4-13 shots from the field.
Clemson shot 51 percent from the field and won the rebound battle, 43-35. Clemson also outscored Tech on fast break points 18-6, and won the second-chance points by a 15-8 margin.
The two teams went back and forth over the first half. Clemson had a 29-23 lead on a steal and dunk by freshman Olu Babalola. But, Tech went on a 9-0 run and held a 32-29 lead with 1:13 left on a jumper by Robert Brooks. The score was tied at 34 when Edward Scott hit a 25-foot three-pointer with four seconds left in the half, giving Clemson a 37-34 lead at intermission. His longest career made field goal ended a 0-18 slump from the field for Scott over three games. Scott’s shot seemed to give the Tigers momentum as it went into the locker room. Clemson went on a 14-6 run to open the second half to extend the advantage to double figures, 51-40 with 15:21 left. The margin grew to 14 points at 57-43 on a layup inside by Hobbs, who scored nine points in the first eight minutes of the second half. Tech closed the margin to three points at 70-67 with five minutes left, but that was as close as the Yellow Jackets could get. A three-point goal by Scott with 3:10 left gave Clemson a seven-point lead and the margin grew back to 10 points with 40 seconds left on a free throw by Ray Henderson. Tony Akins hit a three-point goal at the buzzer to bring the margin back to seven points.
Clemson Wins at Tech in Football and Basketball Clemson recorded victories at Georgia Tech in football and men’s basketball this academic year. This is the first time since 1986-87 and just the second year in history that Clemson has won in Atlanta in those two high profile sports in the same year. In 1986-87, Clemson won the football game by a 27-3 score, then won the basketball game behind Horace Grant and a late shot by Michael Tait, 67-66.
Earlier this year Clemson defeated Georgia Tech on the gridiron at Grant Field, 47-44 in overtime. At the end of the first half of that game, Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler scored on a 38-yard run on the last play of the half, giving Clemson momentum going into the locker room. Edward Scott recorded the basketball version of that play when he made a 25-foot three-point shot to end the first half of the basketball game on Jan. 5. Clemson went on to win the basketball game by a touchdown, 83-76.
Clemson 9-4 in Non-Conference Clemson concluded its non-conference portion of the schedule with a 9-4 record. Clemson began the season with a 2-1 record at the Paradise Jam in The Virgin Islands, victories over Morris Brown and La Salle and a two-point loss to Miami (FL). The Hurricanes won their first 14 games of the year and have been in the top 25 most of the season. Clemson gave them their toughest test among non-conference teams, 67-65. The Tigers had possession underneath their own hoop with four seconds left and a chance to tie, but the shot missed. Another highlight of the non-conference schedule was a 79-66 win at Penn State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Clemson is now 2-1 in that event. Chris Hobbs led five Tigers in double figures. Clemson won the game without the services of Tony Stockman and Jamar McKnight, who were both nursing knee injuries. Clemson had a 46-22 rebound margin in that game, second best on school history on an opponent’s home court.
Clemson Has Been Solid vs. Ranked Opponents In some areas, Clemson has played better against top 25 teams as opposed to unranked teams this year. Clemson is 2-7 against teams ranked in the top 25 this year and Clemson’s averaged scoring margin in those nine games is just -7.9 points per game. In four games against Maryland and Duke the Tigers have been outscored by just 12.8 points per game.
Clemson had four straight games against top 25 teams between Feb. 2-16, just the fifth time in school history that has happened. Clemson was 1-3 in those games. The last time Clemson faced four straight ranked opponents was the 1992-93 season when Clemson played a record five in a row between Feb. 8, 1993 and Feb. 24, 1993. Clemson had a 1-4 record in those five games with the only win a victory over a second-ranked North Carolina team.
Clemson is 2-7 against top-25 teams this year. The victories have come over a #5 Virginia team and a #17 Wake Forest team. It marks the first time since the 1997-98 season that Clemson has beaten at least two top-25 teams in one year. The 1997-98 Tigers defeated three top-25 teams that year. The single season record is six, set in 1979-80 when Bill Foster’s Tigers went to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Larry Shyatt has two wins over top-five teams since he has been at Clemson. He beat a #1 ranked North Carolina team last year and the win over #5 Virginia earlier this year. He is already ahead of his predecessor Rick Barnes in that department. Barnes had just one win over a top-five team in his four years at Clemson, a victory over #3 Kentucky in 1996-97. Cliff Ellis, Clemson’s coach prior to Barnes, had just two top five wins in his 10 seasons. Bill Foster holds the Clemson coaching record for career wins over top five teams with six.
Clemson Has Played Well vs. Duke and Maryland While Clemson finished in a tie for seventh in the ACC standings this year, the Tigers did play well against Duke and Maryland in four games this year. A look to the results tells us that Clemson was second to Virginia among ACC teams when it came to average margin against the top two ACC teams. Clemson was the only team among the bottom seven not to suffer at least one 20-point loss to Duke or Maryland.
Clemson was -51 points for the four games against Duke and Maryland. Duke outscored Clemson by 26 points in the two meetings and Maryland outscored the Tigers by 25 in the two meetings. Virginia had the best margin against Duke and Maryland with a combined -34. After Clemson’s -51, the other five ACC teams were -75 total points or worse. North Carolina was last at -102.
ACC Teams Combined Point Differentials vs. Duke and Maryland Team vs. Duke Mar vs. Mary Mar Tot Mar Virginia -13, +3 -10 -4, -20 -24 -34 Clemson -16, -10 -26 -9, -16 -25 -51 Wake Forest -23, -29 -52 -22, -1 -23 -75 NC State -19, -37 -56 -16, -7 -23 -79 Georgia Tech -25, -32 -57 -5, -20 -25 -82 Florida State +1, -31 -30 -21, -33 -52 -82 North Carolina -29, -25 -54 -33, -15 -48 -102
Clemson Overcomes Double-Digit Halftime Deficit Clemson overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to gain victory to beat both Wofford and Penn State. That was the first time in school history that Clemson had done that in consecutive games. Clemson overcame a 14-point first half deficit and an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Wofford on Nov. 24, 85-82. It marked just the second time since 1990 that Clemson had overcome a double-digit deficit at intermission to gain victory. It marked just the fifth time since 1990 that Clemson had overcome a deficit of at least 14 points at any juncture of the game to gain victory.
Clemson followed that up with just as impressive a comeback at Penn State. Clemson trailed by 14 points in the first half, 26-12, and trailed 44-34 at halftime. The Tigers won the second half 45-22 to claim a 79-66 win. That marked just the third time in school history that Clemson has overcome a double-digit halftime deficit to win a road game. The others took place at Coastal Carolina last year and at Furman in 1973-74, Tree Rollins’s freshman season. Clemson overcame a 13-point deficit in that game.
Clemson also overcame a 10-point deficit in the win over Florida State on Feb. 23. Clemson trailed 18-8, then came back to win 87-78.
Clemson's Largest Halftime Deficits Overcome to Gain VictoryDate Half Site Opponent Final Mar3-17-1990 27-43 N LaSalle 79-75 -162-28-1970 43-56 H Wake Forest 105-95 -1312-29-1973 31-44 A Furman 73-67 -1312-30-2000 28-41 A Co. Carolina 81-68 -132-1-1977 18-30 H N.C. State 60-59 -1212-29-1978 28-40 N Texas Tech 58-57 -1211-24-2001 34-45 H Wofford 85-82 -1111-28-2001 34-44 A Penn State 79-66 -10
Tigers Tied for 10th in Producing NBA Talent Clemson has seven of its former players on NBA rosters this year, tied for the 10th highest total in the nation. This also ties for the most NBA players Clemson has had in a single season.
North Carolina leads the way nationally with 12 former players, while ACC rival Duke is second with 11. A third ACC school, Georgia Tech, is tied with Arizona and Kentucky for third with 10 former players apiece. Michigan State has nine, while Georgetown, Michigan and UCLA are tied with eight players apiece.
Clemson, Cincinnati, UConn, UNLV and St. John’s all have seven, while Kansas and Maryland have six apiece. California and Villanova round out the top 18 schools with five apiece.
Horace Grant is the veteran of the former Tigers in the NBA. The 1987 ACC MVP, the only Clemson player to win that honor, is now in his 14th year in the NBA. He has won four NBA World Championship rings, including last year with the Los Angeles Lakers. The native of Sparta, GA has more World Championship Rings than any other former Clemson athlete in any sport. Grant is now on his second tour of duty with the Orlando Magic.
Dale Davis and Elden Campbell, who combined to lead the Tigers to the 1990 ACC Regular season championship and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, are both still starting in the NBA. Davis, in his 10th year in the league and is the starting center for the Portland Trailblazers. He had 25 points and 16 rebounds on 12-16 shooting in a win over Milwaukee on Nov. 30. He is third in the NBA in field goal percentage.
Campbell is in his 11th year in the NBA, his third with the Charlotte Hornets. He has the best stats among former Tigers in the league, nearly averaging a double-double for the season. He recently had a 26-point and 13-rebound performance for the Hornets.
Greg Buckner and Chris Whitney, two former Tigers from Hopkinsville, KY, are also in the NBA this year. Buckner is a reserve with the Dallas Mavericks, while Whitney has been an occasional starter for the Washington Wizards. Whitney, who has been in the league since 1993-94, and is the starting point guard on Michael Jordan’s Wizard team. He is first in the ACC in free throw shooting. Buckner was injured much of this year, but returned with an 18-point performance against the Knicks in late December. He has been in the starting lineup of late.
Harold Jamison is a sixth former Tiger in the NBA. A rookie with the Miami Heat two years ago, he was activated by the Los Angles Clippers, and had played in 16 games through March 3. He had a double-double against Miami on Feb. 20 with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Will Solomon, Clemson’s leading scorer last year with a 19.7 average, is averaging 13 minutes per game with Memphis. He recently had a career-high 23 points against Orlando in 38 minutes on Jan. 19.
Tigers in the NBA in 2001-02(Stats as of March 4, 2002)Player Team GP Min PPG Reb FG% FT%Greg Buckner Dallas 22 20.7 6.0 4.0 .519 .654Elden Campbell Charlotte 59 29.5 15.1 7.2 .492 .787Dale Davis Portland 57 31.4 9.9 9.2 .533 .687Horace Grant Orlando 55 28.9 8.3 6.4 .532 .728Will Solomon Memphis 45 13.6 4.9 1.0 .331 .595Chris Whitney Washington 58 27.2 10.3 *3.6 .413 .912Harold Jamison LA Clippers 16 7.6 2.1 1.7 .484 .429*Denotes Assist average
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